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Sick: The Life and Death of Bob Flanagan, Supermasochist

Director: Kirby Dick
Year: 1997
Country: United States
Type: Feature
Form: Documentary

Bob Flanagan was a disabled performance artist, stand-up comedian, poet, and masochist. This film follows Bob through the last year’s of his life up until his death from Cystic Fibrosis, as we get to know his crip, S&M art practice and his long-term relationship with dominatrix Sheree Rose. It’s a deeply moving, hilarious profile of a legendary artist, and an astonishing insight into the relationship between sickness and pleasure.

Letterboxd

Image description: Sick: The Life and Death of Bob Flanagan, Supermasochist DVD cover. We see Bob, a middle-aged white man wearing a hospital gown as a cape, an oxygen mask, and S&M gear standing like a superhero. A plaster covers the photo over his groin. It is on a bright pink background, with the film title overlaid, as well as the BFI logo, an 18 age rating, and a sticker that says “fully uncut”.